Woolshed Falls is best viewed in early summer, or a day or two after rain in late summer and autumn. I realise this timing is quite prescriptive,
but under these conditions Woolshed Falls will still be gushing, however the flow will be low enough to clamber over the upstream cascades
and maybe even to the pool downstream. At these times you can walk right alongside the falls on bare rock and watch the arc of water spray
out into the air right in front of you. Access to the falls is quite unrestricted, which is refreshing in this day and age of risk management
to the lowest common denominator. Do not ignore the risks entirely - if you are bringing kids along, as the warning signs say at the falls,
keep a very close eye on them, otherwise they might end up washed downstream to El Dorado. Under low flow conditions you can also follow the
creek to the top of the cascades to view one of the vertical cuts in the bedrock from past gold mining.
After heavy rain this interesting detail upstream is lost and the falls tend to drown out to become more of a large rapid than a waterfall.
Still worth seeing, but not as intricate, complex or interactive.

There is a viewing platform located high above the downstream pool with a good overview of the falls. There is also a short walking track
from the car park to a very long cut through the rock perpendicular to the main creek, which is a further remnant
of past gold mining.

An information board provides details of the history of these rock cuttings and how they were contructed. If you are
taking a gold mining tour of the area, make sure Woolshed Falls is on your list.

Here is a video of the falls, at dusk in late Autumn when the falls were flowing well but you could still jump across the rivulets
upstream to cross the falls without getting your feet wet:

Your Seasonal Guide:

Best Time of Year to Visit:

Best Time of Day to Visit:

Reliable flow all year except during summer/autumn in drought years. Visit in early summer, or a
day or two after rain in late summer and autumn for good flow over the falls but not enough to stop you from scrambling
amongst the cascades upstream.

Visit from midday onwards to see sunlight bouncing off the falls. Just before dusk you will see the rocks
changing colour. Avoid early morning dew or wet days to avoid slipping over in the cascades upstream.

Other Essential Information:

Location: Chiltern-Mt Pilot National Park, McFeeters Road, Beechworth, 290 km (approx. 3 hr 10 minute drive) north-east of the Melbourne CBD.
Latitude:-36.318286 Longitude:146.669211
Getting there: From the Beechworth town centre, head out along Ford St, which then becomes Sydney Road and then the Beechworth-Wodonga Road.
A few minutes outside of town, turn left along the Beechworth-Chiltern Road and then left again down McFeeters Road to the park entry. These
last two turns are signposted to the falls. From Melbourne, the quickest route is via the Hume Hwy.
Water source: Reedy Creek
Approx. height: 15 m
Approx. width: 2-10 m, depending on flow conditions
Approx. length: The main section of the falls is a near vertical drop, with cascades directly above over a length of around 20 m.
Swimming available at the falls: Order the Guide to Freshwater Swimming Holes in Victoria
for more information.
Facilities: Car park, toilets, picnic tables, woodfire barbecues (BYO firewood), information boards
Entrance fee: Not applicable
Opening times: Appeared to be always open, but there is a lockable gate on the entry road
Sun shade: Native bush
Wheelchair access: None
Prohibitions: No pets, no firearms, no fossicking, no bins so take your rubbish home with you
Accommodation options: There is no camping available at Woolshed Falls but there are several free camping spots further upstream along
Reedy Creek, the first of which is around 5 km to the north-west of the falls. If you are plannig to stay overnight
in the area and don't want to camp in the bush, you can try
accommodation in nearby Beechworth,
a beautiful historic town which is around 6 km south of the falls.
Managing authority: Parks Victoria
Nearby attractions:Lake Sambell in town.

The marker indicates the approximate location of the car park next to the falls.

Change of Conditions:

As at 1 December 2016, the managing authority has a general warning throughout the Chiltern-Mt Pilot National Park that
"visitors are advised to be aware of increased risk of tree fall in the park due to above average seasonal rainfall".
I am not currently aware of any other change of conditions reported at this site by the managing authority, or by visitors to this website.
If you are visiting this waterfall and have any further updates on any change of conditions, let me know via the comment form below.

Comments:

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I'm particularly interested in your experiences after visiting, and any changes in conditions, etc.
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